1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sailing control in a boat, and particularly relates to a control parameter selecting apparatus preferable for selecting a suitable control parameter corresponding to a sailing condition of a boat and inputting it into a sailing control device, and a sailing control system utilizing this apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent development of information technology, boat""s LAN technology is implemented for connecting a hull and an outboard motor, and various kinds of measuring instruments with a LAN and displaying a condition of the outboard motor on each of the measuring instrument mounted on a steering seat of the hull. Use of this makes it possible to connect a plurality of input and output devices including a GPS to a LAN and to display a plurality of hull information signals on a display device mounted on the steering seat. It also makes it easier to control a plurality of actuators mounted on the hull by using a plurality of hull information signals. Accordingly, new-generation boats become available with various proposed sailing controls being integrated therein.
The GPS and DGPS also become widely used in small boats. From these systems, information on speed and position (latitude, longitude, altitude) is generally obtained. xe2x80x9cNavigation system-coordinated shift control systemxe2x80x9d for automobiles, which utilizes such positional information to perform optimal transmission control conforming to geographic features by utilizing the positional information, is made available for practical use.
However, as for boats, there is the problem that a user has to determine and select a suitable hull control according to the positional information of the boat at the time, a tidal current condition, a weather condition and the like. It is especially necessary to make fine settings according to the sailing places in order to achieve smooth marine traffic, which is likely to be a large burden on the user.
Since a control corresponding to the positional information as in the above-described xe2x80x9cNavigation system-coordinated shift control systemxe2x80x9d is not performed in a boat equipped with the GPS, the user has to control the steering and speed manually, for example, when sailing in the water areas where rocks emerge from under the water depending on rise and fall of the tide.
The present invention is made in view of the above-described unsolved problem of the prior arts, and its object is to provide a control parameter selection apparatus capable of selecting the control parameter for performing a suitable sailing control of a boat corresponding to a sailing condition and a sailing control system equipped with this apparatus.
In order to attain the above-described object, a control parameter selecting apparatus for a boat as set forth in claim 1 according to the present invention is, in a boat comprising a propeller and a sailing control device which performs a predetermined sailing control based on a control parameter, characterized by comprising parameter storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of the aforesaid control parameters corresponding to various sailing conditions, sailing information detecting means for detecting information regarding the sailing condition of the aforesaid boat, positional information detecting means for detecting positional information of the boat, and parameter selecting means for selecting a suitable control parameter for the sailing condition at the time from the aforesaid plurality of kinds of control parameters based on the information regarding the aforesaid sailing condition detected by the aforesaid sailing information detecting means and the positional information of the aforesaid boat detected by the aforesaid positional information detecting means, and inputting it into the aforesaid sailing control device.
With this construction, it is possible to detect the information regarding the present sailing condition of the boat by the sailing information detecting means, it is possible to detect the present positional information of the boat by the positional information detecting means, and it is possible to select the suitable control parameter for the sailing condition of the boat at the time from a plurality of kinds of control parameters based on the information regarding the present sailing condition detected by the sailing information detecting means and the positional information detected by the positional information detecting means and input it into the sailing control device.
Accordingly, it is possible to select the suitable parameter as the control parameter inputted into the sailing control device correspondingly to the sailing condition of the boat and switch to the suitable parameter, and it becomes possible to perform a sailing control according to the selected control parameter, therefore making it possible to reduce a burden on the user in steering the boat.
Here, the information regarding the sailing condition means speed information of the boat, which changes according to the weather, tide and the like, the attitude information of the boat and the like, and the information may include anything other than this, if only it is the information regarding the sailing condition of the boat.
The control parameter is used for calculating a control amount corresponding to the sailing condition in the sailing control device, and if the sailing control device is equipped with an electronic throttle valve control device, a power steering control device and a power trim control device, it serves as the parameter for calculating the electronic throttle valve opening, the steering angle and the trim angle, respectively.
The invention according to claim 2 is in the control parameter selecting apparatus for the boat as set forth in claim 1, characterized by further comprising water area information storing means for storing information of a designated water area, and designated water area determining means for determining whether the aforesaid boat is located in the designated water area or not based on the positional information detected by the aforesaid positional information detecting means and a stored content in the aforesaid water area information storing means, and in that the aforesaid parameter selecting means selects a suitable control parameter for the sailing condition at the time from the aforesaid plurality of kinds of control parameters based on the information regarding the present sailing condition detected by the aforesaid sailing information detecting means and a determination result of the aforesaid designated water area determining means.
Namely, the water area information storing means in which the information of the designated water area is included, the designated water area determining means makes it possible to determine whether the aforesaid boat is located in the designated water area or not based on the positional information detected by the aforesaid positional information detecting means and the stored content of the aforesaid water area information storing means, the parameter selecting means is able to select the optimal control parameter as the control parameter inputted into the sailing control device from a plurality of kinds of control parameters based on the determination result and the information regarding the present sailing condition detected by the sailing information detecting means and input it into the sailing control device.
Accordingly, it is possible to select the control parameter based on the information of the designated water area, and therefore when the boat needs to sail in a dangerous water area such as a water area with a rock and a water area with an iceberg, for example, a suitable control parameter can be selected as the control parameter based on the information of them, thus making it possible to reduce a burden on the user in steering the boat.
The invention according to claim 3 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus for the boat as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by further comprising a calculating means of a distance the boat is capable of cruising, which calculates the distance the boat is capable of cruising based on a present fuel consumption amount and a present residual fuel amount, and cruising determining means for determining whether the aforesaid boat is capable of reaching a destination from a present position or not based on a calculation result of the calculating means of the distance the boat is capable of cruising and the positional information detected by the aforesaid positional information detecting means, and in that the aforesaid parameter selecting means selects a suitable control parameter for a sailing condition at the time from the aforesaid plurality of kinds of control parameters based on a determination result of the aforesaid cruising determining means.
Namely, by the calculating means of the distance the boat is capable of cruising, it is possible to calculate the distance the boat is capable of cruising based on the present fuel consumption amount and the residual fuel amount, by the cruising determining means, it is possible to determine whether the aforesaid boat is capable of reach the destination from the present position or not based on the calculation result of the calculating means of the distance the boat is capable of cruising, the positional information and the stored content of the aforesaid water area information storing means, and the parameter selecting means is able to select the suitable control parameter as the aforesaid control parameter based on the determination result of the aforesaid cruising determining means.
Accordingly, it becomes possible to perform a sailing control according to the suitable control parameter based on the determination result of the cruising determining means, and therefore the invention is useful in preventing the boat from coming into a standstill on the sea due to fuel shortage, for example.
The invention according to claim 4 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the aforesaid parameter selecting means selects a control parameter according to which the aforesaid sailing control device controls the aforesaid boat to sail with low fuel consumption when the aforesaid cruising determining means determines that it is impossible to reach the aforesaid destination.
Namely, the parameter selecting means is able to select a suitable control parameter as the aforesaid control parameter so that the boat sails with a low fuel consumption when the cruising determining means determines that it is impossible to reach the destination.
Accordingly, the invention is useful in preventing the boat from coming into a standstill on the sea due to fuel shortage, for example.
The invention according to claim 5 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus for the boat as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the aforesaid parameter selecting means selects a suitable control parameter for the aforesaid boat to reach a nearest refueling location with the present residual fuel amount.
Namely, the parameter selecting means is able to select the optimal control parameter to reach the nearest refueling location with the residual fuel amount when the cruising determining means determines that it is impossible to reach the aforesaid destination.
Accordingly, the invention is useful in preventing the boat from coming into a standstill on the sea due to fuel shortage, for example.
The invention according to claim 6 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus for the boat as set forth in any one of claim 3 to claim 5, characterized in that the aforesaid boat includes an outboard motor as the aforesaid propeller, and a power trim device capable of controlling a mounting angle of the outboard motor, and in that the aforesaid parameter selecting means selects a suitable control parameter as the control parameter which is inputted into the aforesaid power trim device in order to perform sailing with the aforesaid low fuel consumption.
Namely, the parameter selecting means adjusts the mounting angle of the outboard motor to the angle at which the fuel consumption is reduced by selecting the control parameter suitable for the sailing with low fuel consumption as the control parameter inputted into the power trim device included in the boat.
The invention according to claim 7 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus for the boat as set forth in any one of claim 3 to claim 6, characterized by further comprising display means of a distance the boat is capable of cruising, which displays information of the distance the aforesaid boat is capable of cruising on a display part based on a calculation result of the aforesaid calculating means of the distance the boat is capable of cruising.
Namely, by the display means of the distance the boat is capable of cruising, it is possible to display the information of the distance the boat is capable of cruising on the display part.
Accordingly, by displaying the distance the boat is capable of cruising for the user to see it easily, it is possible to reduce a human error such as misconception of the cruising distance and the like.
The invention according to claim 8 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus for the boat as set forth in any one of claim 1 to claim 7, characterized in that the aforesaid positional information detecting means is a GPS (Global Positioning System), or a DGPS (Differential GPS).
Namely, the positional information detecting means is the GPS, or the DGPS.
The invention according to claim 9 is, in the control parameter selecting apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to claim 8, characterized in that the aforesaid predetermined sailing control includes at least one of a speed control, an attitude control, a positional control and a steering control.
Namely, the predetermined sailing control includes at least one of the speed control, the attitude control, the positional control and the steering control.
A sailing control system according to claim 10 is characterized by comprising the control parameter selecting apparatus according to any one of claim 1 to claim 9, and a sailing control device for performing at least one of a speed control, an attitude control, a positional control and a steering control based on a control parameter selected by the control parameter selecting apparatus.
With the construction as above, it is possible to input a suitable control parameter for the sailing control device by the control parameter selecting apparatus, and the sailing control device is able to perform at least one of the speed control, the attitude control, the positional control and the steering control based on the inputted control parameter.
Accordingly, it becomes possible to perform each of the above-described control according to the suitable control parameter corresponding to the sailing condition of the boat, the water area where the boat is located, and the like.